Former Auburn standout, record-setting NFL running back Lionel 'Little Train' James dies
AUBURN, Ala. — Legendary former Auburn football and NFL running back Lionel James, nicknamed "Little Train" for his unstoppable motor despite a 5-foot-6 frame, died Friday. He was 59.
James is No. 18 in career rushing yards at Auburn. He was a Tiger from 1980-83, averaging 6.14 yards per carry (fourth in program history). He was one of the first signature players of the Pat Dye era. James was a captain on the 1983 team, sharing a backfield with Bo Jackson.
"Lionel James defined Auburn football for a generation," former athletics director David Housel said in a school release. "Lionel James — the Little Engine That Could. All of the things you want to think Auburn football is about, Lionel James summarized. He wasn't big in stature, but he was big in heart, and he symbolized Auburn football for a generation or more."
The release cited a lengthy illness as the cause of James' death.
James was drafted in the fifth round by the San Diego Chargers in 1984, and he went on to set an NFL record with his 2,535 all-purpose yards in 1985. His 1,027 receiving yards that season were the most ever for a running back.
After a five-year career with the Chargers, James eventually returned to Auburn and was tight ends coach under Terry Bowden in 1996-97.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Lionel 'Little Train' James dies: Former Auburn, NFL star was 5-foot-6
